Lizzo became the first artist and the first person in history to play a 200-year-old flute that once belonged to James Madison at her D.C. concert on Tuesday.
If you're wondering how this happened, it all started with a tweet, according to a blog from the Library of Congress.
Last Friday, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden saw that Lizzo was coming to D.C. for a concert. Lizzo is a classically trained flutist, and the library just so happens to have the world’s largest flute collection.
The singer arrived at the Library of Congress on Monday to practice and library curators made sure the flute could be played safely and without damage, the library said.
She asked if she could play the flute at her concert the next day and the library team agreed, saying they were up for the challenge.
Lizzo posted the moment on social media Wednesday morning alongside a caption saying:
"Y'all...I played the 200-year-old crystal flute from the Library of Congress on stage in D.C."
"Nobody has ever heard this famous crystal flute before. Now you have. I'm the first and only person to ever play this presidential 200-year-old crystal flute," the singer continued. "Thank you Library of Congress.
U.S. Capitol Police officers helped safely escort the flute from the Library of Congress to the concert.
The flute was brought back to the library safe and sound, officials said. Library of Congress thanked Capitol Police for escorting the prized instrument.
An article on Library of Congress Blog states:
"Madison’s flute is distinctive in that Laurent made it specifically for him in honor of Madison’s second inauguration. Its glass is styled in a way that Laurent seems to have reserved for especially illustrious figures, and its silver joint is engraved with James Madison’s name and title and the year the flute was made: 1813."